A nonmitochondrial hydrogen production in Naegleria gruberi. 2014

Anastasios D Tsaousis, and Eva Nyvltová, and Robert Sutak, and Ivan Hrdy, and Jan Tachezy
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

Naegleria gruberi is a free-living heterotrophic aerobic amoeba well known for its ability to transform from an amoeba to a flagellate form. The genome of N. gruberi has been recently published, and in silico predictions demonstrated that Naegleria has the capacity for both aerobic respiration and anaerobic biochemistry to produce molecular hydrogen in its mitochondria. This finding was considered to have fundamental implications on the evolution of mitochondrial metabolism and of the last eukaryotic common ancestor. However, no actual experimental data have been shown to support this hypothesis. For this reason, we have decided to investigate the anaerobic metabolism of the mitochondrion of N. gruberi. Using in vivo biochemical assays, we have demonstrated that N. gruberi has indeed a functional [FeFe]-hydrogenase, an enzyme that is attributed to anaerobic organisms. Surprisingly, in contrast to the published predictions, we have demonstrated that hydrogenase is localized exclusively in the cytosol, while no hydrogenase activity was associated with mitochondria of the organism. In addition, cytosolic localization displayed for HydE, a marker component of hydrogenase maturases. Naegleria gruberi, an obligate aerobic organism and one of the earliest eukaryotes, is producing hydrogen, a function that raises questions on the purpose of this pathway for the lifestyle of the organism and potentially on the evolution of eukaryotes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008928 Mitochondria Semiautonomous, self-reproducing organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of all cells of most, but not all, eukaryotes. Each mitochondrion is surrounded by a double limiting membrane. The inner membrane is highly invaginated, and its projections are called cristae. Mitochondria are the sites of the reactions of oxidative phosphorylation, which result in the formation of ATP. They contain distinctive RIBOSOMES, transfer RNAs (RNA, TRANSFER); AMINO ACYL T RNA SYNTHETASES; and elongation and termination factors. Mitochondria depend upon genes within the nucleus of the cells in which they reside for many essential messenger RNAs (RNA, MESSENGER). Mitochondria are believed to have arisen from aerobic bacteria that established a symbiotic relationship with primitive protoeukaryotes. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed) Mitochondrial Contraction,Mitochondrion,Contraction, Mitochondrial,Contractions, Mitochondrial,Mitochondrial Contractions
D009253 Naegleria A free-living soil amoeba pathogenic to humans and animals. It occurs also in water and sewage. The most commonly found species in man is NAEGLERIA FOWLERI which is the pathogen for primary amebic meningoencephalitis in primates. Naeglerias
D003600 Cytosol Intracellular fluid from the cytoplasm after removal of ORGANELLES and other insoluble cytoplasmic components. Cytosols
D006859 Hydrogen The first chemical element in the periodic table with atomic symbol H, and atomic number 1. Protium (atomic weight 1) is by far the most common hydrogen isotope. Hydrogen also exists as the stable isotope DEUTERIUM (atomic weight 2) and the radioactive isotope TRITIUM (atomic weight 3). Hydrogen forms into a diatomic molecule at room temperature and appears as a highly flammable colorless and odorless gas. Protium,Hydrogen-1
D006864 Hydrogenase An enzyme found in bacteria. It catalyzes the reduction of FERREDOXIN and other substances in the presence of molecular hydrogen and is involved in the electron transport of bacterial photosynthesis. Ferredoxin Hydrogenase,H2-Oxidizing Hydrogenase,Hydrogenlyase,H2 Oxidizing Hydrogenase,Hydrogenase, Ferredoxin,Hydrogenase, H2-Oxidizing
D015800 Protozoan Proteins Proteins found in any species of protozoan. Proteins, Protozoan

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